GB: Ecto Flu
by WayWardWonderer
Summary: A new strain of ghostly flu virus hits the Ghostbusters. While Egon and Peter work to find a treatment for the illness Ray is stuck sick in bed and Winston is forced to wait for any updates from the sidelines thanks to quarantine.


The near century old firehouse that was home to Ghostbusters HQ was quiet, still and temporarily closed for business. The four intrepid Ghostbusters had locked themselves up inside the firehouse as the quartet struggled to deal with an unexpected hindrance that heavily limited their abilities to perform as New York City's elite team of paranormal investigators and eliminators.

Dr. Peter Venkman, who was wearing his work jumpsuit for the sake of convenience, sat on the edge of Dr. Ray Stantz's bed with a small bowl of chicken soup in his hands. For the past hour Peter had been trying to coax Ray, who was laying ill in the bed with a nasty flu, to eat some of the soup but his efforts had been for not.

"Come on Ray, just try a little." Peter held a small spoonful of soup near Ray's face. "It's delicious! A Zeddemore family recipe."

Ray's bloodshot eyes drifted from the blank spot on the far wall and toward the spoon hovering nearby. Giving the offered soup a disinterested, almost disgusted glance he looked up at Peter as if to say 'please let me alone' before returning his gaze to the wall. Laying on the bed, his white t-shirt saturated with sweat and his head resting on his sweat drenched pillow, he laid beneath only the sheet, and not the cover, of his bed. Ray felt entirely drained of his strength and couldn't even utter a protest against Peter's presence.

"Man, doctors really do make the worst patients." Peter placed the spook back into the bowl and set on the nightstand beside Ray's bed. "You need to eat something Ray," he gently lifted Ray's arm up from the bed and measured his radial pulse in the wrist. "if you let yourself get malnourished or dehydrated then you'll be in really big trouble." He set Ray's arm back down on the bed and gave his ill friend a sympathetic glance. "Can you please try to eat something?"

Ray blinked slowly but didn't answer the question. The red fever strain in his eyes made his natural eye color brighter than normal. His unusually pale complexion was complemented by dark circles forming under his bright eyes and a fine sheen of sweat that covered his skin.

Peter retrieved the bowl of soup and tried again to get Ray to eat. "Just one bite, then I'll leave you alone. At least for a while. Ten minutes tops. Trust me!"

Turning his head slowly to look up at Peter, Ray's vision swimming with even the minimal effort. "If you were sick, would you trust you?"

"Good point." Peter stirred the soup in the bowl briefly. "But not good enough."

Heavy footsteps paced by long legged strides ascended the staircase as Dr. Egon Spengler walked into the bunk room with his PKE meter in hand. The tall physicist was wearing his white lab coat over his jumpsuit. Standing beside Ray's bed he reached a hand down and pressed it down against Ray's sweaty forehead, Ray's eyes moving upward to look at Egon in the process. "How's he doing Venkman?" His voice carried words of concern although his tone of voice suggested detachment.

"Not good. He won't eat or drink anything." Peter set the bowl of soup down for the second time. "Have you figured out what kind of flu this is?"

"I believe so." Egon retracted his hand from Ray's forehead after gauging his elevated temperature. "I analyzed the sputum sample provided by Ray and I discovered an interesting anomaly this is not found in any a-typical flu virus."

"Sputum?" Peter visibly flinched and shuddered at the testing Egon had been doing in lab. "Snot was never my favorite subject in school."

"Regardless of the subject you never studied." Egon quipped as he switched on the PKE meter held it over Ray's body. The device screeched as it picked up a significant reading as it passed over his abdomen and chest, which caused the needle of the display to dance about wildly. "It's entirely possible that this flu is the result of a particularly potent strain of bacterium that had been harbored within the viscous cellular structure of ectoplasm."

Peter gave Egon an especially confused glance as he tried to follow Egon's quickly spoken, very clinical diagnosis. "Ray's suffering from 'slime flu'?"

"The term 'Ecto flu' is more accurate, and, yes." Egon confirmed as he switched off the meter and took in Ray's appearance. "It's entirely possible that chronic exposure to ectoplasmic residue has resulted Ray absorbing the bacteria through unprotected inhalation of the particles during busts or a following analysis; or even through direct epidermal contact."

"So what's the treatment, Egon?" Peter asked as he discreetly scooted down the edge of the bed away from Ray.

"Unknown."

"Oh, great. That's fine work there Spengz."

Egon dismissed the snide comment. "Ray, with your permission I'd like to take a blood sample for further testing."

Ray blinked slowly as he kept his attention on Egon. Weakly he lifted his arm upward toward the attentive physicist and agreed to the test. "Knock yourself out, Spengler."

Egon grabbed onto Ray's arm, feeling how heavy the limb felt from Ray's own lack of strength. "I'll just need a few hours to study the results." Retrieving a small alcohol wipe from his coat pocket Egon swabbed Ray's arm before taking a syringe and attached glass vial from his other pocket and inserting the tip of the needle into Ray's Cephalic vein. "I'll work as quickly as logically possible."

Peter glanced away from the blood being drawn and to the chicken soup beside Ray's bed. "Hey where's Winston right now? I haven't seen him since this morning."

Egon finished drawing the blood, pocketing the vial and pressing a cotton ball against the insertion point on Ray's vein as he bent his arm to stem the flow of blood. "Winston is running errands. We're low on medical supplies and fresh groceries." Releasing Ray's arm and laying back down on the bed Egon took his leave of the bunk room. "I'll be down in the lab. Venkman, stay with Ray."

"What? I've spent all morning with him! Why can't Janine babysit when she comes in?"

"Because I told her to stay home." Egon held up the vial of blood and briefly stared at the crimson contents as if he could see the answer if he only looked close enough. "Until we know how this illness is truly communicated I do not want to risk her becoming infected."

"But it's okay for Winston to go shopping?"

"Winston has enacted proper quarantine protocols. Extensive showering, fresh clothes that have not been worn inside the firehouse and will keep direct human contact to an absolute minimum until he returns. Winston has also exhibited no symptoms of this flu which means his risk of spreading this virus is very minimal."

Ray sighed wearily and finally spoke up on his own behalf. "Hey fellas, can you please get out of here? I'm tired."

"Oh, sorry." Egon stepped away from the bed. "Ray get as much as rest as possible, but if you exhibit any other symptoms inform us right away."

Peter stood up from the edge of the bed and picked up the bowl of soup. "I'm going to go put this aside, but only for now. If you don't eat something soon I'll have Egon start an I.V. on you."

Egon furrowed his brow in thought. "An I.V. might be required to prevent his fluids from getting too low. If he's unable to consume any sustenance within two hours an IV will need to be administered."

"Hear that Ray?" Peter teased as he made his way to the staircase with the bowl of soup in his hands. "And I'll make sure he uses the BIG needle!" He followed Egon out of the bunk room and back down the kitchen. After disposing of the bowl in the kitchen Peter hustled into the lab after Egon. "Hey Spengz, it's not serious is it? I mean, Ray is going to be okay right?"

Egon had prepared a smudge of the blood sample onto a small slide for the microscope. "I honestly do not know. Ray is strong, and his body is reacting as if the flu itself were in fact a common strain of natural origin. It's entirely possible that he will recover in due time."

"But... it's also possible that he may not." Peter could sense the hesitation in Egon's voice.

"The same can be said about any infection, whether it's viral or bacterial all depends on the strain of the bacterium and the immunity of the afflicted host."

"You're a great comfort Egon, do you know that?" There were times where Peter hated Egon's scientific detachment and right at that moment was one of those times. "Remind me to never get sick around you, I don't want to be crammed under a microscope."

"Peter, I-" The phone downstairs on Janine's desk began ringing which stopped Egon midsentence.

"I got it!" Peter huffed out of the lab to answer the phone. The anger in his voice was as palpable as it was intimidating.

Egon never had a chance to explain himself before Peter disappeared from sight. Returning his gaze to his microscope he whispered his response, subconsciously hoping that it could somehow quell Peter's impatience. "I'm doing everything I can."

The sound of Peter's boots stomping in his direction gave Egon enough time to brace himself against the frustration that would undoubtedly being projected onto himself.

"It was Janine." Peter updated Egon as he leaned against the opened door the lab. "She wanted to know if she could come back to work, I said 'no'."

Egon briefly glanced up at Peter from the microscope. "That's good. I don't want anyone else possibly becoming ill."

"Yeah, not enough test tubes for all of us." Peter scoffed as he continued on his way past the lab and back into the bunk room.

"Peter, please-" Egon missed his chance to explain his seemingly cold disposition once again as Peter hustled out of sight. "time is critical!"

Peter had rejoined Ray in the bunk room, managing to calm his quick pace and walk silently. Resting the back of hand very gently to the side of Ray's neck Peter felt how feverish the sick man had become. "Poor guy."

Ray didn't react to Peter's presence in the bunk room or his touch. The blissful release of a much needed rest was too deep and too inviting for Ray to awaken.

"I hate seeing you sick like this, Ray." Peter sprawled out onto his own bunk across from Ray. Folding his arms under his head he closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh as he tried to relax and let his ire toward Egon pass. "We'll think of something, though. Just be patient."

* * *

Toiling away with methodical dedication in his lab Egon analyzed the blood sample under the microscope. The single slide would have provide enough usable for the physicist to create a vaccine or serum against this incorporeal strain of flu.

"Interesting." Egon remarked as he noted the unusual viral cells found alongside Ray's red blood cells. "The bacteria is assimilating the red blood cells as a means of reproducing itself which seems to be disorienting the white bloods. Ray's immune system is having difficulty differentiating the invading cells from the unafflicted normal blood cells."

Lifting his gaze from the microscope Egon prepared a small portion of the remaining blood sample from its glass vial for further testing.

"There must be a way to isolate the assailing bacteria from the host cells."

Using a second smaller syringe Egon extracted the blood and placed it inside of a small petri dish. Allowing the virus to incubate in an environment without any form of immune system hindering its progress Egon could perhaps create a vaccine to counteract the effects of the bacteria before it resulted in an irreparable harm to Ray's body.

"I'll need to keep track of the rate of bacterial growth with a timer." Egon set the prepared dish inside the temperature controlled incubator on the far side of the lab. Test samples of various slime and ectoplasmic residue lined the interior shelves but there was enough room for one more dish. "One hour of growth should be able to display enough information to form an accurate basis for further testing."

Unable to shake the uneasiness that was thick in the air Egon shrugged of his lab coat and wandered out his isolated lab in favor of the more communal rec room that connected to the bunk room. From a distance Egon was able to look through the opened doorway and see both Ray and Peter asleep on their respective bunks. More curious about Ray's condition than Peter's mood Egon discreetly walked into the room and approached the ill man's bed.

Looking down at Ray's hollow, thinned face it was evident that he was well on his his way to dehydration. Sweat glistened on his skin and dripped down from his forehead and neck.

"This is quite serious." Egon realized without needing an confirmation to know that Ray's fever had spiked in degree in the past half hour. "We need to keep his body temperature down."

Retreating to the kitchen that was adjoined to the rec room Egon pulled open the freezer door and collected all of the ice inside the small compartment. Placing the ice in a large bowl he carried it into the bunk room and sat it down beside Ray's bed. "Hold on Ray, I'll be back."

Next rushing into the washroom connected to the opposite end of the bunk room Egon grabbed several towels and washcloths in his arms. With all of his supplies gathered he sat down on the edge of Ray's bed. Folding the ice inside the towels he draped the cooling fabric over Ray's overheating body. "This should help."

Ray's face was a grimace of immense discomfort as the fever raged through his weakened body. The cool compress that had been laid over his chest only lessened the discomfort by a vague, almost inconsequential amount as his entire body began shuddering with uncontrollable muscle tremors.

"I need to find a treatment and fast." Egon pressed his finger to the center of his glasses and pushed them back up the bridge of his nose into place. Turning to look at Peter still dozing on his own bed Egon called to his colleague. "Peter, wake up. It's important."

Peter recognized Egon's deep voice well enough to rouse from his sleep. Sitting up on the bed with eyes still closed he responded to the request with indifference. "What is it Spengz? Some of us-"

"Peter, it's Ray."

"Ray?!" Peter's eyes shot open as he stared at the ill man laying across the room from him. Scrambling from his own bed he crossed over to Ray in two long strides. "What happened?" Peter pressed his hand to Ray's chest worriedly. "Did you experiment on him or something?"

"What? No!" Egon was blatantly offended by the accusation. "His fever has increased to a dangerous degree, you must keep him cool while I finish developing a proper vaccination to fend off the bacteria."

"Say, what?" Peter hadn't actually bothered to ask Egon about his work and what he was doing in his lab, he had merely assumed that Egon was simply using Ray's condition as grounds for a self aggrandizing experiment.

"Don't leave him alone for one second," Egon warned as he hastily exited the bunk room. "I'm counting on you!"

Egon returned to his lab to check on the bacterial growth in the petri dish only to discover that the dish itself had been completely smothered in bacterial colonies. "This is..." Picking up the dish Egon stared with absolute awe at the astonishing rate of growth that had taken place in less than ten minutes. "lethal..." Lowering the dish from sight he stared blankly at the wall in front of him as his heart suddenly tightened in his chest. "Ray."

Reacting quickly Egon isolated the petri dish within a large sterilized, transparent plexiglass containment box. Using the two chemical resistant gloves attached to the front of the box, sealed airtight and accessible only from the outside reaching in, Egon opened the dish and prepared a solution to send the active bacterial cells into a dormant state. Using a glass beaker heated over a Bunsen burner a colony of the treacherous bacteria was scraped into a solution of saline and left to boil.

"I must contain this threat before it spreads any further!"

* * *

Peter stayed vigil at Ray's bedside. Using the remaining ice cubes that had only begun to melt Peter added to the cool compress that was warming quickly from the intense fever that threatened to take Ray's life.

"I wonder if-" A warning alarm blared loudly through the firehouse. "What the hell?"

Egon charged into the bunk room's doorway and stared with a steadfast gaze at Peter. "This is serious. We're under quarantine lock down!"

"What?!" Peter was on edge, his heart pounding in his chest. "Egon, tell me what's happening!"

"The bacteria in Ray's blood has an incredible rate of development. I must find a way to eradicate it from his body or at the least slow its progress while Ray develops a proper immunity to the infection. Until we know how this very aggressive strain of flu is transmitted we must keep Ray, and ourselves, isolated."

"What about Winston? He's still out in the city, going who knows where and meeting up with who knows who!"

"I'll contact him over the radio in Ecto-1. He cannot come back here and risk further exposure."

"And us? We're not going to leave Ray alone, that's without question, but how will this affect us?"

"I'm not sure. Again, I have yet to discover how this bacteria infects its host."

"All we can do is sit and wait." Peter realized with a pained heart. "Let's just hope that Ray can afford the wait."

"I'm running a culture of the bacteria as we speak. If it responds as expected I may be able to develop a proper vaccination to combat the bacteria." Rubbing his hand over the back of his neck Egon turned on his heels. "I'll update Winston and resume research. Take care of him."

Peter swallowed nervously at the thought of being locked away with their friend deathly ill with an unknown bacteria. What really made him nervous was seeing the intensity in Egon's eyes and knowing that the otherwise unflappable physicist was actually afraid.

"Ray," Peter patted Ray's chest lightly. "what have you gotten us into?"

* * *

Egon sat behind Janine's vacated desk and switched on the C.B. radio used to keep in contact with the Ghostbusters when the men were already out on a call in the city. Checking the channel and testing the microphone Egon contacted Ecto-1.

"Winston, this is Egon. Please respond." He released the 'talk' button and waited for a response.

' _Egon, what's going on? I'm two blocks away._ ' Winston's voiced crackled over the staticy transmission.

"Winston," Egon grimaced as he spoke. He was torn knowing that keeping him away was the safest and most logical course of action, but with Ray's life possibly on the line they needed as much help as possible inside the firehouse. "you need to keep away from headquarters. Whatever this 'sickness' is could be fatal. I don't want you to become exposed."

' _If it really that bad then you need me there_!' Winston protested as his natural leadership and first responder instincts kicked in. ' _I can help-_ '

"The best way to help us is to stay away." Egon was adamant in keeping at least one member of the team completely safe. "If something happens and we're unable to find a solution then you're the only one who can do anything about it. Keep away, please."

There was a pause of absolute silence. The radio crackled to life as Winston finally responded. ' _Alright Egon. I'll stay away, BUT, if you do need my help call me right away, alright? Just tell me you need me to do and I'll do it_.'

Egon exhaled deeply as even the mildest sense of relief was enough to help him keep his nerves steeled. "Thank you. I need you to stay in your apartment and keep tabs on the news just in case this flu has somehow spread. And if you start to feel ill be sure to contact me and give me every detail."

' _I will. Keep in touch Egon, I'll be waiting_.'

"I will give an update when I can. Stay safe." Egon set aside the microphone and leaned back in the chair feeling burdened with the task at hand. "If I'm to find an effective treatment I must work quickly."

Hustling back into the lab Egon returned his attention to the culture's progress within the safety of the containment box. "No! This is-" The bacteria inside the glass beaker had all but dissolved into a seemingly innocuous compound, but the bacteria colonies remaining in the petri dish had developed further in size and number. "This pace is too rapid to be contained by traditional means. This sample MUST be destroyed for the sake of environmental integrity!"

Removing the beaker from the burner and setting it aside for the time being Egon capped the glass bottle to ensure the contents remained in a controlled setting. Picking up the petri dish Egon held it over the bright flame of the burner with every intent of using the fire the destroy and subsequently disinfect the interior of the containment box.

"If I'm correct this should be the correct serum to vaccinate against this strain of flu as well as treat the infection." Taking the beaker from the containment box he studied the contents warily. "Not much has been produced, but it should provide an acceptable amount for a credible test."

Rolling up the sleeve of his left arm Egon exposed his flesh. Flexing his hand a few times he stared at the Cephalic vein in the bend of his arm, only glancing at the beaker in his other hand.

Removing a sterilized syringe from the storage cabinet Egon pressed the tip of the needle through the rubber cork that sealed the beaker and loaded the syringe with what could either be the cure to the disease or a new kind of poison.

Swabbing his arm with an alcohol pad from the same storage cabinet Egon pressed the needle of the syringe into his vein and injected the enigmatic compound into his bloodstream.

Tossing the used syringe into the waste bin Egon rolled down his sleeve and waited for any sign of his body reacting to the medication. Instinctively he wrote down his current findings and placed them in the appropriate file for the time being. "Perhaps a move effective method can be utilized from the blood directly." He noted as he locked the document away and returned to the desk.

"No negative side-" Egon flinched as he felt something a sudden wave of nausea and dizziness. Clutching at his stomach he doubled over and used his free hand to try and steady himself against the nearby desk. "Peter!" He called out as loudly as he could before he lost his balance entirely and crashed against the desk in a sick heap.

* * *

"I think the ice worked, Ray." Peter had been carefully monitoring Ray's condition from his bedside. The ill engineer's face wasn't contorted with discomfort and his muscles were no longer trembling. Using the cooled towel Peter wiped the sweat from Ray's face and forehead before replacing it over his chest, smoothing the fabric out and laying out the remaining ice cubes over the surface. "You just hang in there, alright? Me and Egon are-"

A loud explosion from Egon's lab shook the entire building with a powerful shockwave. Peter instinctively leaned over Ray as if he could somehow shield his defenseless friend from the unseen threat as Peter himself tried to wrap his head around the chaotic scene.

"What the HELL was that?!" He asked as he slowly sat upright on the bed again. "Egon?" No reply from downstairs. "Egon!"

A dense white smoke began wisping up the stairs from the ground floor. "EGON." Peter shot to his feet and ran over to the top of the staircase. Peering through the wafting misty smoke he could trace the source of the disturbance stemming from Egon's lab. "NO."

Moving swiftly on adrenaline fueled legs Peter rushed over to the window at the top of the stairs and pushed it open to vent the building smoke. Pulling his t-shirt up from his under his jumpsuit he used to cover his nose and mouth to prevent the acrid smoke from burning his nose and throat as he ventured down the stairs and toward the lab. Using the staircase railing and the walls he was able to guide himself into the room with little difficulty. Stepping into the lab's opened doorway his hand fumbled along the wall until he found the switch to trigger the overhead vents to remove the remaining smoke from within the building.

"Egon?" His muffled voice called out as he struggle to see through the thinning smoke, the glowing flame from the Bunsen burner intensified gradually as the room cleared. "Answer me pal!" Taking a single step inside the room he heard and felt his boot crunch down onto a large shard of broken plastic and several bits of glass. "What caused this?" Moving over to the source of the explosion Peter reached through the jagged opening formed in the plastic box and turned off the burner. "Egon!"

The vent had eliminated nearly all of the smoke which allowed Peter to see the extensive damage that the lab had suffered as a result of the explosion. The containment box had been destroyed leaving a disfigured chunk of plastic in its wake. Jagged pieces of the charred box jutted out dangerously. Plastic and glass debris littered the floor, many glass tubes, vials and beakers having been destroyed as well.

As he eyed the fragments strewn across the floor he caught sight of a pair of broken glasses beside a humanoid form laying on the motionless near the wall. Egon had been a victim of the blast and sent flying into the wall as the destructive force tore through the room. Laying on his side, his back facing toward the center of the room, and subsequently toward Peter, Egon remained perfectly still.

"Egon!" Stepping over to his downed friend he kneeled and put his hand on Egon's shoulder to roll him from his side and onto his back. Several small cuts marred Egon's face, neck and his upper arms; dried blood outlined each painful injury. Egon's face was deathly pale save for the red smudges of blood that stained the white complexion with a sickly crimson hue. Placing his hand on Egon's chest Peter went just as pale as Egon when he couldn't feel the chest rise or fall with breath, or a steady beating of heart. "Hold on, I'm here for you!"

Putting his hands under Egon's arm he dragged the injured physicist from the lab and out into the the center of the garage. Without any sharp pieces of plastic or glass that could cause further harm to Egon's body Peter laid him down flat and pressed his ear to the still chest. There wasn't any sound.

"Alright, you're not going to like this, but," Peter put his hand under Egon's head and neck to ensure that Egon's airway was clear. Pinching Egon's nose Peter blew two puffs of breath into the physicists starving lungs, watching his chest rise and fall with each administers breath, before interlacing his fingers from both hands together and resting them over the center of Egon's chest. "this is a hell of a lot better than not breathing!" Compressing Egon's chest five times he gave the physicist two more breaths. "Come on, come on..." He began a second round of compressions. "don't quit on us now."

Providing two more breaths Peter sat back on his knees as Egon began coughing, sputtering and choking to take in a deep breath on his own.

"That's it! Breathe!" Peter cradled Egon's head and upper body in his arms as the successfully revived man responded positively to CPR. "You're okay!" Peter couldn't hep but run his hand through Egon's thick hair, small flecks of glass and plastic falling free of his locks in the process. "Welcome back!"

Between body wracking coughs Egon took in ragged breaths and managed to utter a few choice words. "Vaccine... Ray... needs to be... finished!"

"Vaccine?" Peter tightened his grip around Egon's shoulder, trying to steady the shuddering man. "You created a vaccine?"

"No..." Egon painfully coughed again. "still develop... developing."

"Still developing." Peter looked back at the destroyed lab despondently. If the vaccine was in the vicinity of the blast then there was virtually no way it could've survived. "Okay, I'll check in on it." Peter forced confidence into his tone. "Right now I'm checking on you. I'm going to move you upstairs, that way Ray isn't alone."

Egon tried to respond but every syllable was cut short by an inescapable coughing fit.

"I'm going to put you over my shoulder. I'll be careful." Peter sat Egon upright and bent down. Pulling Egon's arm over his own shoulder Peter was able to haul the lanky physicist into a fireman's carry onto his own back and shoulders. Wrapping one hand around Egon's arm and the other arm around Egon's leg Peter was able to stand up and support the full weight of his injured friend over his shoulders. "Hard part's over." Peter huffed as he began ascending the staircase. "No problem."

Egon continued to cough violently as his lungs desperately attempted to expel the remaining smoke from his body. Peter could feel every cough against his shoulders, he could feel how fast Egon's heart was beating as it thundered in his spasming chest.

The smoke that had reached the second floor had been much thinner than on the first floor. The opened window and functioning vent had completely cleared the rec room and bunk room of any and all smoke, which was a massive relief to Peter as he carried Egon into the bunk room where Ray was still laying in his fever induced slumber.

"Easy does it." Peter lowered Egon down from his shoulders and onto his bed beside Ray's bed. "Okay Spengz, what do you need me to do?"

Egon tried to answer but the violent coughing kept him muted.

"Breathe through it Egon, slowly deep breaths." Peter instructed as he put a comforting hand to Egon's chest. He could feel every muscle in Egon's chest seizing with each painful, deep cough. "Inhaled a little too much smoke, didn't you?"

Egon could only nod in response which gave Peter a much needed confirmation he was still coherent. Opening his teary red eyes Egon stared blankly at Peter for a few seconds before blinking rapidly.

"I'll go down into the lab and salvage what I can. If I can I'll-"

"Peter..." Egon had managed to find the strength to speak as he hand grabbed onto Peter's arm in a desperate death grip. "I... I can't... see."

"You can't-" Peter kept on hand firmly against Egon's chest as he pressed his second hand to the side of Egon's face. Leaning in Peter looked at Egon's red eyes and saw bits of plastic shrapnel that needed to be flushed away. "Hold on, I'll get your eyes cleaned out for you! Don't rub them!"

Flying over to the fire pole connecting the bunk room to the first floor Peter slid down and bolted into the destroyed lab. "Gotta think, I have to help Egon. I have to help Ray." He told himself as he fumbled through the damaged, if not totally obliterated supplies in the smoke tarnished room. Two large storage cabinets on the far side of the room escape the blast. Pulling open the first cabinet door Peter uncovered a supply of metal basins, glass jars, vials and various gauges.

"I can use this." Peter took one of the metal basins from the cabinet then tore open the second cabinet. The inventory in the cabinet contained items of a more medicinal value. Bags of sterile saline, packed syringes, bandages, gauze, latex gloves and a bottle of alcohol. "And these!" Using a sweeping motion Peter knocked all of the supplies from their shelf and into the large basin. "Hold on guys!"

Sprinting up the stairs to the second floor with his gathered supplies Peter rejoined his colleagues in the bunk room. Sitting the loaded basin down on the edge of Egon's bed Peter checked in on Ray for a quick moment before returning his focus to Egon. "Ray's alright." He announced as he pressed two fingers against Ray's neck. "He's hanging in there Egon."

"That's... good." Egon was still having difficulty speaking through the harsh coughing fits.

"Okay, I'm going to clean out your eyes now." Peter dumped the supplies from the basin and onto the bed cover. Pushing the basin into Egon's hands Peter positioned the basin under Egon's left eye. "Hold this right here and look forward. I'm going to use the saline to rinse out your eyes."

Egon struggle to remain perfectly still and resist the urge to blink as he felt the first drops of saline washing over his raw eye.

"Don't move, easy." Peter could see Egon flinching in his blind confusion. "Look down."

"I hate... this." Egon admitted through a panted breath. "I can't see... anything."

"It'll just be for a short time. Look up." Peter offered would of encouragement. "Once your eyes have a chance to heal you'll be able to see again, I know it."

"I need... to help..."

"You have helped!" Peter leaned forward and made sure Egon's left eye was clear. "After I take care of you I'll go finish what you started in the lab."

"Not that... simple." Egon breathed heavily as he felt Peter move his hands over to place the basin below his right eye. "Vaccine... ineffective."

"Ineffective?" Peter began rinsing the saline over Egon's right eye. "Why is it ineffective?"

"Bacteria is... too resistant."

"Too resistant," Peter thought back to his classes in biology in college, wishing he had paid closer attention. "is the bacteria too, uh... What's the word I'm looking for?"

"Regenerates..." Egon huffed as a coughing fit stole his words.

Peter reached out and held tightly onto Egon's shoulders. "Don't try to talk anymore, just catch your breath big guy." As the violent coughing fit mercifully passed Peter lessened his grip on Egon's shoulders. "You said it regenerates," Peter resumed cleaning Egon's eye. "which means it can't be used to create a vaccine. The bacteria is still active."

Egon nodded subtly as the cool saline soothed his aching eye.

"Then what do we do? How can we help Ray?"

"S-serum." Egon wheezed pathetically.

"We create a serum?" Peter asked as he checked Egon's eye, satisfied that it was clear of any debris. "How do we do that?"

"Ray's blood." Egon's hands were trembling as Peter guided them down and away from his eye. "His cells will... have gained... immunity."

"Okay, Egon. I'll find a way to create the serum." Putting aside the basin and saline Peter pressed a white gauze pad against Egon's left eye and used medical adhesive to hold it in place, before repeating the same action for his right eye. "I'm going to wrap up your eyes and then I'll get down to the lab. You rest here with Ray."

"But I... can't-"

"Egon, trust me, if anyone can find a way to overcome temporary blindness and take care of a sick friend, it's you!" Wrapping the gauze over the bandages and around Egon's head Peter helped him to lay down in the bed. "Relax. You're coughing way too hard. Your ribs have already taken abuse from CPR, if you keep coughing like this you'll fracture a rib for sure!"

Agreeing with Peter but unable to say so Egon allowed Peter to guide him down so that he could lay flat on his bed.

"Good." Turning from Egon Peter put his hand on Ray's chest and felt the slow breaths that caused his chest to rise and fall rhythmically. "Ray's doing okay. His temperature is down and he's stable."

"Blood sample." Egon managed to whisper. "Still in... lab."

"Then that's where I'll start. Don't worry guys, Dr. Venkman will figure everything out!" Turning his attention to the lab and the unfinished work at hand. Using the fire pole once again Peter made a hasty exit and landed firmly on the ground floor. "...at least I hope I can figure everything out."

Stepping over the bits of plastic and glass that had accumulated through the garage where Peter had taken Egon, he found himself sickened by the carnage. What caused the explosion to begin with? Egon was always so careful with his work and never left anything hazardous out in the open. The flame on the Bunsen burner was the the first clue, the color of the smoke was the second. The smoke was white which meant that explosion was a result of a chemical reaction and not by combustion which derived fuel from a surrounding environment.

"What were you doing here, Egon?" Peter stooped down to pick up the broken frames and lenses that had once been Egon's glasses. "You were standing in front of the box," standing up he placed himself in the approximate location to where Egon had been standing before. "and you were using the flame for... something."

Checking the interior of what remained of the box he spotted the smoldered petri dish warped from excessive heat melded into the base of the box. "This?" Peter tried but failed to lift the melted dish from the box. "This was destroyed on purpose, whatever was on here was pretty unstable! I'm sure Egon did this on purpose. He wouldn't commit such a massive mistake, it's just not in his nature."

A glimpse of red in the corner of the destroyed box caught Peter's eye. "The blood sample!" Pushing aside a large piece of jagged plastic Peter uncovered the vial containing Ray's blood. Gingerly he placed his fingers on the glass vial to check for any cracks or leaks before picking it up very lightly. "It's still intact. I just need to find a way to create the serum."

Mentally taking stock of his available resources Peter decided the odds would be in his favor by using Egon's extensive notes and data logs that always accompanied and chronicled his various experiments. The computer had been severely damaged in the explosion, repair was possible but Peter simply didn't have the time, patience or skill to take on such an endeavor.

"Where'd you stash your notes Egon?" Peter resorted to searching through the paper files that cataloged research data. Secured in the closet on the far side of the lab the precious paper had been spared in the explosion. "Let's see..." Peter pulled out a large storage box labeled 'biological & anatomical' and began thumbing through the alphabetically ordered files. "need anything on blood and cellular extraction. Come on Spengz, I know you... a-ha!" Pulling out a large manila folder Peter found the necessary document. "I bet 'Cellular Separation and Analysis' will give me some answers!"

Taking the file over to the desk where the charred microscope rest Peter used his arm to sweep the plastic and glass fragments from the surface. Laying out the file he began to slowly and thoroughly read every word that has been penned. "I was never good at biology..." He muttered to himself. "Wish I had someone to cheat off from!"

* * *

In the bunk room Egon continued to cough relentlessly. A sharp pain burned in his chest which caused him to instinctively roll onto his side and curl around himself protectively. He couldn't stop coughing and he couldn't call for help.

A warm hand pressing onto his arm gave him a sense of calm and safety, even during his vicious coughing fit. Slowing his breathing Egon was able to quell the coughs and whisper weakly. "Peter?"

"Ray." Ray patted Egon's arm sympathetically, his own voice weak and quiet.

"Ray!" Egon flinched as the sudden outburst agitated the pain that was gnawing away at him. "You need... to lay down... You're too sick..."

For the moment Ray ignored Egon's suggestion, he was more worried about his friends than he was himself. "Looks like I missed something. What happened to your eyes?"

"I was..." Egon coughed again and curled tighter around his chest. If his eyes had been uncovered Ray would've seen the tears streaming from his clenched eyelids.

"You're sick, too." Ray noted as he stood beside his friend's bed. "You're sick because of me."

"Not... sick."

"Egon, I can feel the fever just by touching your arm." Sitting down on the edge of the bed Ray pressed a hand to his face tiredly. "That cough though, that's something different. Does it have something to do with what happened to your eyes?"

"Y-Yes..." Egon confirmed solaced that Ray was aware of that his condition wasn't the same as being infected with the flu. Needing a sense of stability and reassurance he reached out and grabbed onto Ray's arm, his fingers looping around his wrist to measure his pulse.

"Has anyone else gotten sick? Peter and Winston?"

"No..."

"That's good." Ray could feel his body shaking from noticeable dehydration and what had to be low blood sure from being unable to drink or eat anything. "Is Winston back?"

"No..." Egon repeated feeling horrific as each syllable uttered seem to magnify the pain in his chest. "Told him... to stay away."

"And Peter?"

"Still here."

"Peter is downstairs taking care of everything." Ray realized as he wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm. "He'll figure it out." Ray, ever the optimist even when faced with adversity, wanted to help his friend despite no knowing what he could possibly do.

"Ray..." Egon forced himself to speak up despite the burning pain in his chest. "Rest please."

Ray looked down at at Egon's hand and gently lifted his fingers away. "I'm still in bad shape, huh?"

Egon could only nod.

"But I'm not going anywhere." Ray patted Egon's arm again before returning to his own bed beside Egon's. "I'll stay here with you until you're well enough to move."

"Thank you." Egon couldn't believe how selfless and resilient Ray was despite being so ill. Unable to see Ray's face or see how well he was able to move about Egon could only imagine how sick he looked or behaved; his imagination ran wild with the worst case scenario. "Don't... don't leave us."

"Wouldn't think of it." Ray laid down heavily in his bed and stared at the ceiling above as it began to spin. "Even if I could find the strength to leave I wouldn't do it."

* * *

"This should be everything I need to do." Peter had managed to divide Ray's red blood cells from the blood plasma. "If Egon was right, and he always is, the plasma can provide the serum. I just need to..." A dizzy spell hit him causing him to stumble forward. Catching himself against the desk top he closed his eyes and waited for the dizziness to fade. "Oh, no. Not now!" Opening his eyes he looked down at his hands and noticed they were beginning to tremble and his skin looked paler than normal. "I can't afford to get sick! The guys are counting on me!"

Pushing through his sudden onset of symptoms Peter continued his work. Devoting full concentration to the serum Peter was determined now more than ever to see the project through to the end.

"Okay, if I just follow the notes exactly as written then this should work. I just need at least an hour to..." He felt incredibly nauseous. Forcing his stomach to remain contained he took a deep breath and stared down at the notes. "Ten minutes. I can make it."

Unable to stand Peter sat on the floor and pressed his back against the cool surface of the bulky desk. Leaning his head back he opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling and take in deep slow breaths. The calm breathing didn't help calm his stomach however.

"Oh man!" Reaching over for the nearby waste bin he held it in his arms in case he lost the battle and threw up. It was then he saw that a syringe had been used and tossed away. "What the?" Noting that the syringe was at the top of the trash pile Peter knew it had been used only recently. "Egon? Did you... You tested it on yourself? Is that why..." He trailed off as he finally discovered the cause for the explosion. Egon had collapsed and lost control of the fire.

"You risked yourself for Ray."

* * *

Egon carefully rolled over onto his back and took a deep breath. The coughing fits that had plagued him had lessened but the pain in his chest remained steadfast. Pressing his hand to where the pain had localized he could feel swelling over his ribs. Certain that he had in fact fractured a rib from coughing so hard he focused on keeping his breathing steady and calm.

From the neighboring bed Ray moaned in discomfort as his stomach twisted into a knot. Despite having had nothing to consume he felt as though he was going to throw up.

"Ray, are you alright?" Egon was finally able to speak without needing to pause for breath. "You sound miserable."

"Stomach..." He muttered under his breath.

"How's your fever?" Egon asked as he turned his head toward Ray despite still being unable to see.

"Can't tell." Ray sounded as worn out as he felt.

"Try to get some rest." Egon insisted as he tried to keep his voice from sounding terrified.

"I'm trying." Ray drifted off as fatigue won out. "So tired..."

"So am I." Egon played with the bandages over his eyes as temptation to remove them reared its ugly head. "I wish I could do something to help. How long have I been up here?"

Egon's mind drifted back to the explosion in the lab. The petri dish and the unexpectedly combustible bacteria burst into fire and thunder as the Bunsen burner's flame did it's job. All he could remember after testing the serum on himself was the feeling of a thousand needles piercing his skin as he flew across the room, everything went dark as his body hit the floor.

"If Peter hadn't of checked in on me," guilt had begun to gnaw away at Egon. "I would've died. I should've been more careful, I should've known that by dealing with an unknown substance that the unknown was bound to happen! I'm such a fool! And now, because of me, Peter has to bear the full weight of responsibility of creating a serum; some kind of damn CURE or else Ray is going to die!"

"Peter had every right to accuse me of being a coldhearted, detached analyst." Draping his arm over his bandaged eyes Egon expressed his long suppressed emotions in a woeful admission of self induced guilt and sin. "I'm the one who should be dead. Not Ray. I'm the one who keeps experimenting with the slime and ectoplasm, I'm the one who had continuously exposed us all to this lethal bacteria, I'm the one who-"

"You're definitely the one with the deepest voice." Peter interjected as he walked into the bunk room slowly. A metal try with three vials and three syringes were in his hands, the glass clanking rhythmically against the metal with every step he took. "Egon, please don't tell me you're giving up."

"Peter." Egon felt a hot wave of shame wash over him. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know you think your life is worth less than than Ray's or mine." Peter sat the tray down on the table between Egon and Ray's beds. "None of this is your fault. You're not responsible for everything that happens to us, you need to accept that."

"But I am responsible for my own actions."

"Since when have you had absolute control over every little thing that happens in the world?" Peter reached over and pressed a hand against Ray's forehead and pressed his free fingers against Ray's neck. "Ray's still in rough shape. Is it safe to use to the serum on him?"

"We may not have a choice." Egon swallow nervously at the thought of Ray suffering from the same violent wave of nausea and dizziness that had sent him crumbling down in the lab.

"I followed your notes." Peter informed the ill physicist as he loaded the first syringe with the contents from the first vial. "And I found the used syringe in the trash can."

Egon didn't answer.

"I can't believe you did that Egon." Peter stared at the white bandages that concealed Egon's eyes, grateful that he couldn't see that rage on his own face or see that he too had become sick. "You're not a guinea pig!"

"But I am a scientist."

"And you're human!" Peter almost yelled as his anger toward his friend's recklessness was almost too much to bear. "Don't ever put yourself in harm's way like that again!"

Again Egon didn't answer.

"Okay, I have the serum." Peter took the edge out of his voice. Part of him wanted to keep yelling at Egon for taking such a dumb risk but another part of him so proud to have such a selfless friend in his life. "I used all of your notes to synthesize this stuff."

"'Synthesize', you have been reading my work."

"Very funny." Peter prepared the second syringe. "Seeing as you've already had a dose of... whatever this is, I don't want to give you anything more."

"I believe that would be the proper course of action."

"Which means only Ray and I will be injected." Peter looked at the syringes nervously. "Egon, if something goes wrong-"

"It won't." Egon replied quickly and firmly. "You're a smart man, Peter. You don't give yourself enough credit."

"But, IF something does go wrong, I want you to know I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"For being so short tempered with you earlier. I know you care about us; me, Ray, Winston, it's just when you go into your own little world and cut yourself off from the rest of the world to focus on some numbers and chemicals... I don't know, it just feels like you don't want to be a part of reality anymore."

"Peter," Egon tried to sit up in the bed but his sore chest prevented him from doing so. "I'm very much aware of the real world. Having friends like you is what motivates me to try and change it for the better."

"Thanks big guy." Peter sighed and looked down at Ray. "I'm going to give Ray the serum. Man, I wish you could see so I don't feel like I'm going to mess up."

"It's possible." Egon remarked as he began fidgeting with the bandages over his eyes.

"Are you sure? If your eyes-"

"I'm aware of the risks. But taking care of my friends in more important to me."

"Then let me help." Peter volunteered as he diligently removed the bandages from Egon's eyes. "How does that feel?"

"Lighter." Egon joked as used his hand to shield his eyes from the overhead lighting. "Okay, I think I'm ready."

Peter stepped back as Egon slowly opened his injured eyes. Blinking a few times the his vision returned into a blurry haze.

"Well?" Peter asked impatiently as he sat down on the edge of Ray's bed and prepared his arm for the injection.

"It's blurry, but then it always is without my glasses."

Peter smiled happily know that Egon hadn't been blinded by the explosion.

"Peter?" Egon looked toward Ray's bed and saw stared at his two friends with an intense curiosity. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick as well?"

"I didn't want to worry you." Peter held his breath as he pierced the needle into Ray's skin and into the vein beneath. Ray didn't wince or react to the injection at all which either meant Peter hadn't hurt him or Ray was simply in too deep of a sleep to feel anything. Injecting the serum into Ray's bloodstream Peter retracted the needle and set the used syringe aside on the tray. "One down."

"One to go."

"I, uh..." Peter looked at the syringe and his own arm. "I can't do it. Would you...?"

"You've been afraid of needles for as long as I've known you." Egon remarked as Peter brought the syringe with him and sat on the edge of Egon's bed. "Roll up your sleeve."

"Thanks pal." Peter rolled his sleeve and looked away.

"It's my pleasure. It's not everyday you ask me to stab you."

"Geez, Egon! You're just full of one-liners today! What was in that stuff you- Ow! - injected earlier!"

"By all accounts a less refined but equally effective vaccine against the 'Ecto-flu'." Egon tossed aside the syringe. "I believe it'd be best to contact Winston, tell him it's safe to return. I see you have a third injection that can inoculate him against the bacteria."

"Yeah, sure." Peter rolled down his sleeve and gathered the tray of used items. Just before he disappeared through the doorway he stopped and turned back to Egon. "Hey Egon, how'd you inject that stuff into my vein without your glasses?"

"Are you kidding? I could dissect a frog in my sleep."

"I don't know if that's something worth bragging about..."

* * *

Within the hour Winston had returned to the firehouse and readily set to aiding his downed colleagues. After replacing all of the groceries and dwindling medical supplies he spend the rest of the day tending to his flu ridden friends. The third injection had been successfully administered and the former marine hadn't suffered from any side effects.

Ray, Peter and Egon had been bedridden from the severity of their of illnesses, but the three men were well onto their way to a full recovery thanks the serum that had been created by the combined, although unorthodox, efforts from Peter and Winston.

"Come on Peter." Winston held a bowl of warm soup out for him to eat. "Try a little bit. I promise it's good!"

"See?" Ray commented from across the room. "Not so easy to eat when your stomach is upset, is it Venkman? What was it you said earlier about doctors being the worst patients?"

"Not funny Ray!" Peter retorted bitterly as he discreetly turned his face away from the bowl.

"I thought it was funny." Egon tagged onto the conversation from his own bed.

"Thanks pal, nice to know you have my back." Peter pressed the side of his face into his fluffy pillow.

Winston put the bowl of soup aside for the moment and shook his head. "Alright, you kids are overtired and need to get some sleep. I'll check on you in an hour or so."

"Don't go Winston." Peter asked weakly, his voice sounding as pitiful as he looked. "I haven't seen you all day."

Patting lightly on Peter's shoulder Winston gave this three friends a sympathetic glance. "You know, with you guys all down we're not going on any calls for some time. Why don't I go clean up the lab and then we'll try the soup again later, okay?"

"Okay, deal." Peter accepted the offer and leaned back into his bed. "But I won't make any promises!"

 _ **-The End  
**_


End file.
